I grew up in a house full of animals -- two dogs, minimum two to four cats, minimum two ferrets, free flying cockatiels, parakeets, fish, lizards, and other feathered friends. I was the neighborhood pet-sitter and dog walker growing up as well; from age 12 onward I was taking care of others' animals and watering plants and gardens when neighbors would go on vacation. In university I studied kinesiology (the study of human movement) but got special permission from my course director to be able to perform my internships with animals instead of with humans. So as a part of my university criteria, I worked a year at an animal shelter socializing dogs and feral cats so they would become used to humans. I also worked as a professional dog walker for a company called A Walk in the Park while I was in university; then I worked a year as a veterinary assistant at age 22-23. I'm familiar with meds administration: oral, topical, and injections, and I'm attuned to animal behavior and communication. In my 20s, I worked a year in the amazon jungle in Bolivia at a wild animal rehabilitation center. I specifically worked with the felines and became the feline volunteer coordinator eventually. Working with big cats and walking them on a lead for a year definitely taught me how to handle walking big powerful dogs! I often volunteer at local shelters and/or foster animals when I live somewhere for long enough (2 months+). In addition to my awesome plant-watering skills, I've also taken care of people's entire gardens and orchards (in addition to their pets), while they've been away.